^1 



DELIVERED BEFORE THE 



PHILOMATHEAN AND PHRENAKOSMIAN 
SOCIETIES 



i 






JAMES C. BIDDLE. 



JULY 4, 1838. 



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1838. 



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Pennsylvania College, Jvhj 4///, 1838. 

To James C. Biddle, Esq. 

Dear Sir,— The Literary Societies of Pennsylvania Col- 
lege cheerfully acknowledge their indebtedness to you for the 
patriotic and excellent-address which you did them the honour 
and the kindness to deliver this morning, and through us they 
respectfully and unanimously solicit a copy for publication. 

Yours, truly, 

JAMES L. SCHOCK, 
CHARLES L. BAKER, 
M. L. STOEYER, 
A. GEBHART, 
JAMES M. CRAPSTER, 
JAMES R. REISER, 

J.iinl Committee of the Philoraathoan and 
Phrenakosmian Societies. 



Spread Eagle (GcUyshnrg), July 4, 1838. 

Gentlemen, — It will give mc great pleasure to comply 
with the request contained in your kind note. I feel deeply 
sensible of the distinguished attention j^ou have bestowed on 
me, since my arrival; and beg that you will, for yourselves 
individually, and for the Societies you represent, accept my 
sincere thanks. 

Your friend, 

J. C. BIDDLE. 

To Messrs. James L. Schock, Charles L. 
Baker, M. L, Stoever, A. Gebhart, 
James M. Crapster, James R. Keiser, 

Joint Committee of the Pliiloniatlican and Plirenakosmiaii Societies. 



ADDRESS. 



Gentlemen of the 

PniLOMiTHEAN AND PhRENAKOSMIAN SOCIETIES, — 

Liberty is inseparably connected with the moral 
and intellectual improvement of mankind. It is a 
theme on which historians, philosophers, poets, and 
orators, have delighted to dwell. Its true nature 
and character have often been lost sight of in the 
halo of its effulgence. It consists not in permitting 
all to indulge their passions and gratify their incli- 
nations, without control. Such a state of society 
never did, and could not long exist. Different per- 
sons desire the possession of the same thing; that 
which pleases one, displeases another; all cannot be 
gratified; some will prevail, others must yield. If 
there were no permanent rules for the government 
of the community, the strong would overwhelm the 
weak; the cunning would circumvent the simple- 
minded; and wrong would often prevail over right. 
No tyranny was ever more arbitrary, no despotism 
ever more cruel, than man left entirely to himself 
Every one the judge and vindicator of his own 
rights; the redresser of his own wrongs; society 
would be convulsed by perpetual violence. 

If men were not mortal; if all were in sincerity 



and in practice Christians, seeking to do the will of 
their Creator; and every one to do unto others as 
he would they should do unto him; then indeed 
might mankind live in security, under no other than 
a self-imposed restraint. 

" Then birds in any space might safely move, 
And timoi-ous hares on heaths securely rove." 

But, unfortunately, such is not the case. Control is 
necessary — without it there can be no rational li- 
berty. 

Law is indispensable to the subsistence of our 
civil rights. All should acknowledge its authority; 
none be raised above its reach; none be depressed 
beneath its protection: the rich man and the poor 
man; the great man and the beggar; should be 
equally conscious that they enjoy its protection, and 
cannot violate its injunctions with impunity. The 
man in office should feel that every power, with 
which his station invests him, imparts an obligation 
to act in accordance with that law whose authority 
he wields. By day and at night; abroad and at 
home; in the gay pursuits of pleasure; amid the 
cares of business, and the perplexities of life, the 
citizen should be sensible that its panoply aflbrds 
him a sure protection against injustice. 

" To civilize the rude unpolish'd world, 
And lay it under the restraint of laws ; 



7 

To make man mild and sociable to man ; 
To cultivate the wild licentious savage 
With wisdom, discipline, and liberal arts, 
Th' embellishments of life ! Virtues, like these, 
Make human nature shine." 

The difference between a despotism and a free 
government consists, chiefly, in this; that in the 
former, power is arbitrarily exercised; while in the 
latter, the people are governed by laws proceeding 
from themselves. 

Good government must depend on the good inten- 
tions and the capacity of those who govern. In a 
free republic like ours, where almost every citizen is 
entitled to vote, and each exercises an influence on 
the well being of the community, it is obviously im- 
portant that the people should be instructed in the 
knowledge of their rights, and be guided by virtuous 
principles in the exercise of their powev. Where 
the people generally are ignorant and degraded, it 
cannot be hoped that they will establish a good 
government, make wise laws, select judicious public 
functionaries, or act with advantage to their best in- 
terests. 

The first great step, therefore, in a democratic 
republic, to secure its permanency, should be the 
establishment of schools and seminaries of learning, 
so universally, that no hamlet should be so obscure, 
none so densely shaded, that the light of education 
should not penetrate, cheer, and invigorate its in- 



8 

mates, enlarging their mental faculties, improving 
their morals, and fitting them to enter on life, pre- 
pared to perform their duties as good men and good 
citizens. 

Contrast the situation of the altogether unin- 
structed being, whose range of knowledge is limited 
to that which he has learned from his own observa- 
tion, with that of the laborious and well instructed 
student, whose mind is enriched with the accumu- 
lated wisdom gathered by the experience of ages — 
Compare their relative happiness, value and power; 
and how vast, how immeasurably great the distance 
that separates them. 

Instruction should not be confined to the rudi- 
ments of learning. There is no reason why its re- 
finements should not be placed within the reach of 
the diligent, who shall eagerly aspire to elevate 
themselves to the enjoyment of the pure pleasures 
that scientific and literary excellence impart. No 
form of government is more favourable, than a re- 
publican, to mental cultivation. Merit, superior ex- 
cellence, exalted goodness, should be the passports 
to public favour; and the young should be thus sti- 
mulated to persevere in well doing, as the best 
means of obtaining approbation and reward. In 
ancient Greece and Rome, nature profusely show- 
ered the choicest gifts; and there genius delighted 
to linger and to produce the fairest fruits. They 



have long since passed away; and while their deeds 
of martial prowess have sank into obscurity, they 
have left intellectual trophies, enduring monuments 
of their greatness, which, surviving the wreck of 
time, give them an immortal fame, and fill the 
bosom of the student of modern days with a gene- 
rous glow, as he contemplates the memorials of 
their glory. Already our country has produced 
bright examples of eminence in science, the arts, 
and in literature, achieved by those who were un- 
aided by powerful connexions or by wealth, and 
who were truly the architects of their own fortunes: 
and our poor boys, our common schoolboys, have 
graced the halls of legislation, the bar, and the pul- 
pit, richly repaying to society the benefits conferred 
upon them. Let the lamp of liberty be khidled and 
supplied with an emanation from that pure spirit, 
which seeks to open to all, freely, the untold trea- 
sures of wisdom, and it will continue to burn with 
spotless lustre. Education is a perennial spring, 
constantly diffusing happiness and prosperity. 

The best estate of which a young man can be 
possessed, in our country, is a good education, in- 
tegrity of purpose, and industry. Riches may take 
unto themselves wings, but these will never fail him. 

The capacity of mankind to maintain a demo- 
cratic form of government for a long period of time, 
over an extensive and thickly peopled country, has 



10 

not only been doubted, but utterly denied; and when 
our republic has been pointed to as a triumphant 
refutation of the fallacy of such views, every disor- 
derly movement among us has been referred to by 
the advocates for monarchical power, who have 
urged that our experiment is not yet fairly tried. 
Let it be our duty not to disappoint the just expec- 
tations, the brightest hopes of the friends of free- 
dom, throughout the world. Let us, by our long 
continued maintenance of order, by our respect for 
the supremacy of the laws, and our just regard for 
the rights of all nations, show that though, like 
others, we may be agitated by occasional tumults, 
our liberties have taken a deep root ; and that time, 
so far from weakening, has only confirmed their se- 
curity. 

On the young men of our country, especially on 
such as participate in the advantages you possess, a 
responsible duty is devolved. On the right use of 
that education which you are here deriving, or on 
its abuse, must rest the question, whether your lives 
will be a benefit or a calamity to your country. 
Your portion is not one of obscurity, or even of me- 
diocrity. To you many talents are entrusted. The 
means within your reach, of becoming public bene- 
factors, are abundant. Your example will operate 
widely. Take heed that its influence be salutary. 
The duties of life are active. No one performs well 



11 

his part, who is a passive spectator of events. All 
receive protection from society, and every one is 
bound to contribute his proportion to the general 
prosperity. The indolent will be neglected, and, in 
their mortification, they cannot lay claim to the 
consolations of an approving conscience. Your 
spheres of action will be different ; but in all there 
will be space for the display of your faculties in 
promoting the happiness of mankind. We have no 
right to be indifferent. 

Our ancestors have done much for us: we owe 
them a heavy debt of gratitude. They have trans- 
mitted to us the blessings of civil and religious 
liberty. Under the guidance of a kind Providence, 
they not only accomplished our independence, but 
bequeathed us a legacy more valuable than was 
ever before bestowed on any nation. Our pos- 
terity have a right to expect that we will not waste 
or impair this rich inheritance. Our children ex- 
pect, and they expect justly, that we will hand down 
to them, at least as good a government, at least as 
many political blessings, as our fathers established 
for them, no less than for us. If we shake the pil- 
lars of our political fabric ; if we undermine its foun- 
dations, we are guilty of treason to our own offspring. 

These are not times in which sentinels may slum- 
ber at their posts. There are signs in the hori- 
zon portentous of a storm; tumults have arisen in 



u 

different quarters of our country. In the North, the 
East, the West, the South, and I deplore to add, among 
ourselves, mobs have trampled on restraint, and defied 
law with fearful impunity. Lynch law has raised its 
bloody hand, and its blows have already defaced the 
temple of liberty. Its faithful guardians are called 
on to gather around it, and protect it from the rash 
assaults of mad invaders. The more plausible the 
excuses, the more specious the pretexts with which 
some would extenuate the guilt of such outbreaks 
of popular fury, the more dangerous their influence 
becomes. Where violence is without a shadow^ of 
excuse, all condemn, and the voice of censure is a 
corrective of the evil. When lawlessness is coun- 
tenanced and upheld by the sanction of the well 
disposed, it then becomes formidable. On public 
opinion our institutions depend for their stability. 
Let the general confidence be withdrawn from the 
ability of the laws to furnish protection to all in 
the exercise of their rights, and the best days of our 
republic will have gone. Let all good citizens then 
unite in reprobating and repressing acts that endan- 
ger our continued existence as a free and orderly 
community. Every form of government has its an- 
tagonist power: that of a republic is a tendency to 
popular violence. Let the latter prevail, and anarchy 
must speedily ensue, which, by an easy transition, will 
lead to despotism. 



18 

Among other lieresies, tliat it will become you to 
discountenance, you will hear it proclaimed, that the 
voice of the people is the voice of God: and that the 
people can do no wrong. The people are the only 
true source of political power; this no good Ameri- 
can citizen wall question: but it is not true that the 
people can do no wrong. They not only can err, but 
they frequently do err. Every individual among us 
is a sinful and corrupt creature; there is none per- 
fect, no not one; we often go astray, when we would 
do good; human selfishness and passion mark our 
progress from the cradle to the grave. If such be 
our individual characters, if such be the parts, how 
is it possible that an aggregate so composed will be 
one harmonious, consistent, beautiful whole. We 
are no more perfect as a community, than we are 
separately. But what is meant by the people? Is 
there any such thing as their collective sentiment? 
Do they see with the same eyes? Judge with one 
mind? Speak with one voice? This is so far from 
true, that there is not an important question in reli- 
gion, politics, morals, literature or taste, on which 
the greatest variety of conflicting opinions are not 
held and maintained. By the people, is it intended 
to include only the people of this country, or of the 
world? Would they embrace the benighted heathen, 
offering up a human victim to appease the anger of 
a false god? Would they take, in all time, from the 



14 

earliest glimmerings of the social compact down to 
the latest improvements that time and experience 
have matured? If the people cannot err, if the peo- 
ple can do no w^rong, it follows that they never have 
erred, they never have done wrong; that their de- 
liberations have been always wise, their doings per- 
fect; and that there is not, and never was, room for 
improvement, unless they would make perfection 
more perfect. The blasphemous cry that the voice 
of the people is the voice of God, has often been 
raised by demagogues, and it was never more loudly 
proclaimed, than when, in the midst of the volcanic 
heavings of the French revolution, human arrogance 
and human might, had it not been for human impo- 
tence, would have deposed the great God himself, and 
seated the usurper Reason on his throne. What im- 
piety can be more daring than that which calls the 
voice of the mutable, sinful, and feeble creature, the 
voice of the immutable, all-just and omnipotent Crea- 
tor? We know that we are; but we know not that 
the next moment will be ours. That now, on which 
we set so much value, is gone even as we utter it. 
The presumption and vanity of man are truly great. 
Where no class is recognised as entitled to supe- 
rior privileges, and every man must consequently be 
equally subject to general laws, it will naturally fol- 
low, that all having an interest in the well being of 
the community, there will be a general disposition to 



15 

maintain good government. As some mode of se- 
lecting those who are to be entrusted with authority, 
and of arranging differences of sentiment, must be 
estabhshed, none will be so readily acquiesced in, or 
can be fairer, than submission to the will of a ma- 
jority; and into this, at last, is the voice of the peo- 
ple resolved. 

There is nothing more inconsistent with republican 
simplicity and real dignity, than a spirit of subservien- 
cy and a disposition towards flattery. We are ready 
enough to bestow our contempt on those "who hang 
on princes' favours." Adulation is not, however, the 
less mean because it cringes, bends, and pours out its 
fawning accents to propitiate the favour of a mul- 
titude. A slave is not the less a slave, because he 
has many masters. A truly independent spirit would 
scorn to humble itself before either one tyrant or 
many sovereigns. The man, who sacrifices his prin- 
ciples to the popular will, if he lived under a mo- 
narchy, would be among the most pliable of cour- 
tiers. Individual self respect, a frank, manly bearing, 
are essential ingredients in an elevated tone of na- 
tional character. The true friend of the people will 
address them in the language of sincerity, and if he 
be trusted, it will be because he is trustworthy. Not 
so with the mere seeker for office: he will be lavish 
in his expressions of devotion to the people; he will 
profess to consult their wishes as the guide of his 



16 

conduct, the rule of his conscience; his principles will 
be as variable as the vane on the housetop. Go- 
verned by no enlightened or stable rules of action, he 
will ever be occupied in watching the gales of popu- 
lar impulse, and in calculating the chances of the 
wind. He may succeed : favouring breezes may waft 
him to place and to power, but he can never be a great 
statesman, nor deserving the name of a patriot. 

The good opinion of our fellow men is not to be 
held in slight estimation: there is a popularity that 
may well be desired; the approval of the good, the 
reward of virtuous conduct and distinguished worth. 
It is, in the words of Lord Mansfield, " that popular- 
ity which follows, not that which is run after — that 
popularity which, sooner or later, never fails to do 
justice to the pursuit of noble ends, by honourable 
means." 

Every good man respects himself, and it becomes 
us to cherish a just respect for our country. Under- 
stand me not to encourage that idle vanity which 
leads to individual and national boastfulness. True 
greatness is not given to vaunting. Those who pos- 
sess real merit are content with the consciousness of 
well-doing, and are not the heralds of their own ex- 
ploits. They need no such auxiliary. Let us illus- 
trate national character by our nice regard for jus- 
tice; by our philanthropic institutions; by our semi- 
naries of learning; by the advancement of science; 



17 

by the virtue of our citizens. Let these be our jewels, 
and in their brightness let us rejoice. 

While it is our duty to cherish a strong attachment 
to the Union, to consider that we are one nation, the 
citizens of each state entitled to the privileges of 
citizens in all the states; and to cultivate a cordial 
allegiance to the United States, regarding every at- 
tempt to alienate our affections as deserving indig- 
nant rebuke; it becomes us, as Pennsylvanians, and 
you, especially, as students of Pennsylvania College, 
to feel that we are bound by a strong obligation to 
promote the prosperity of our own Commonwealth. 
She is well entitled to our respect and regard. In her 
history there is much on which we may reflect with 
honest pride; — Her settlement was characterized by 
justice; — The soil was purchased fairly, not wrested 
by force from the aboriginal red men — the now fast 
fading away race of Indians, soon to be remembered 
as that which was, and is no more ; a tale of wild ro- 
mance, belonging to by-gone times. In Pennsylvania, 
all men have been permitted "toworship Almighty God 
according to the dictates of their own consciences, 
every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and 
none to make him afraid;" — Persecution and oppres- 
sion have been scarcely known ; — She has taken the 
lead in mitigating the severity of the penal code, and 
has administered justice in mercy, seeking the refor- 
mation not the destruction of the offender ; — She has 



18 

maintained her laith inviolate; res})ected the obhga- 
tion of contracts; and her credit has never been 
questioned; — She has supplied the nation with her 
full proportion of valuable citizens; — She possesses a 
hardy, industrious, moral, and intelligent population. 
Her soil, her agriculture, her salt, her lumber, her 
coal, her iron, her water-power, all in course of being 
daily more and more developed by a scientific geolo- 
gical survey, and brought into a wider usefulness by 
the steady and systematic prosecution of an expand- 
ed system of internal improvement, are sources of 
immense wealth and prosperity. Intersected by noble 
rivers that open to her, on the east by the Susque- 
hanna and the Delaware, a communication with the 
Atlantic ocean; and on the west by the Ohio and 
the Mississippi, with the Gulf of Mexico, her citizens 
have opened to them an abundant market for her 
rich harvests, her vast treasures, and the productions 
of their industry. Her scenery is unsurpassed in 
richness and variety — Nature and art lend their 
blended aid to adorn the diversified prospects that 
gratify the eye of the traveller at almost every turn 
as he passes through her territory. The right use 
and development of these advantages must depend 
on ourselves. 

While modern improvements and discoveries are 
giving a mighty impulse to all around us, we must 
not, we cannot stand still. Steam is annihilating 



19 

time and space; the most distant parts of the coun- 
try are, as it were, made one neighbourhood. Inter- 
communication is softening prejudices and producing 
a community of feehng ; friendships and alhances are 
taking place, and a bond of union is thus being form- 
ed which, it is fervently hoped, may be indissoluble. 

You have well chosen this day, the anniversary of 
our national independence, for your celebration. It 
is pleasing and profitable at stated times to assemble 
together and unite in commemorating great events. 
The occasion we this day celebrate is well calculated 
to awaken the purest and the loftiest patriotism. The 
American revolution forms a bright era in the history 
of the world. It was a magnanimous struggle against 
the arbitrary exercise of power in support of free 
principles and the rights of man. It differed widely 
from other revolutions. It was not a wild effort to 
throw oflf law and to subvert order, nor a conmiotion 
created and violently carried on by designing and 
ambitious men, nor by a disorderly multitude. It 
was a deliberate and determined assertion of their 
civil and religious liberties by a people who under- 
stood their rights, and were determined at every ha- 
zard to uphold them. Their conduct corresponded 
with the elevation and dignity of their cause : private 
rights were scrupulously respected, and turbulence 
and disorder were promptly repressed and punished. 
Our ancestors were among the earliest and most re- 



20 

solute assertors of civil and religious freedom. They 
abandoned the coniforts, the luxuries and the rctine- 
ments of Europe, and sought on this continent, then 
a vast wilderness, the abode of savages, an asylum, 
where, uncontrolled by tyranny, they might enjoy 
their inalienable rights. They willingly encountered 
and surmounted toils and dangers with invincible 
fortitude; and, by their perseverance, effected a per- 
manent settlement in this, their adopted land. Al- 
though the colonies had been settled under different 
circumstances, the same adventurous spirit charac- 
terized all. Having sought liberty at the sacrifice of 
the dearest ties that bind man to his native home, 
they hoped to enjoy it unmolested by European in- 
terference. Their hopes were vain. As they grew 
in strength and increased in importance, they excited 
the attention and the jealousy of Great Britain, then 
styled the mother country. 

Surely I need not recapitulate the wrongs they 
endured, nor the forbearance with which they sought 
redress, until accumulated injuries, and daily ex- 
tending encroachments, left them no alternative save 
a recourse to open resistance and to arms. 

Let us pause and contrast the situation of the two 
countries at this time. The power of Great Britain 
was the most formidable in Europe; her resources 
were vast; her armies were brave and disciplined; 
her navv covered and commanded the ocean; her 



21 

power had attained the proudest height. The popu- 
lation of the thirteen colonies, did not exceed three 
milhons, thinly scattered over this continent from 
Georgia to Maine, devoted to quiet and peaceful 
pursuits, destitute of military stores, undisciplined, 
without a treasury, and in all respects unprepared 
for war. Added to this, there were among them a 
powerful body of settlers, holding offices of profit, 
honour and trust, by loyalty and interest attached 
to the mother country; and others, who, although 
sincerely attached to the whig cause, were in prin- 
ciple opposed to warlike resistance. Our ancestors 
saw and appreciated the inequality of the contest. 
But in support of their rights and liberties, they were 
determined to brave every danger, and perish sword 
in hand, rather than abandon so righteous a cause. 

Washington was appointed commander in chief 
of the American armies. Happy and auspicious was 
the day, in which the destinies of our country were 
committed to his guardian care. His youth was 
characterized by a determined spirit, tempered by 
that prudence and wisdom, which were conspicuous 
throughout his life. At the defeat of the gallant but 
rash and unfortunate Braddock, his character shone 
forth conspicuously. Surprised by a savage enemy 
in ambush, their general slain, their officers shot 
down in quick succession, and their ranks thinned 
by the unerring aim of an invisible foe, the Indian 



22 

war whoop sounding througli the forest, the veteran 
troops of" Europe were struck with })anic fear, and 
thrown into irretrievable disorder. Our youthful 
hero foresaw and endeavoured to avert the calamity. 
His counsel was unheeded. He did all that skill and 
valour could accomplish, to retrieve the fortunes of 
this disastrous day, and to save from destruction 
the remnant of the army. In a letter to his brother, 
Washington says: " By the all powerful dispensation 
of Providence, I have been protected beyond all hu- 
man probability or expectation; for I had four bul- 
lets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, 
yet I escaped unhurt, although death was levelling 
my companions on every side of me." May we not 
believe that the hand of God was mercifully inter- 
posed to shield him from the perils of this sangui- 
nary conflict, having thus early marked him for his 
high destinies? 

Washington, at the time he accepted the command 
of the American armies, well knew the difficulties, 
the dangers and the embarrassments against which 
he had to contend. His country demanded his ser- 
vices, and he hesitated not, but accepted the perilous 
elevation. More than once the deepest gloom of war 
overspread the country, desolation pervaded the land, 
and all were bitterly distressed. Despondency had 
cooled the ardour of many patriotic hearts. Despe- 
rate indeed seemed the situation of our affairs, at the 



23 

close of the memorable year 1776 — Disaster had suc- 
ceeded disaster, disaffection to the cause was mani- 
festing itself, and hope languished. Washington saw 
that a crisis had arrived. His enterprise now shone 
forth with brilliant lustre, and rose superior to the 
trials by which he was encompassed. He formed 
the bold design of attacking the enemy, separated 
and dispersed in different winter cantonments. On 
Christmas night, the Delaware, filled with floating 
ice, in a storm of hail and snow, he crossed the river 
with a part of his army. No sooner had he reached 
the Jersey shore, than he was informed that the pow- 
der had become so damp in crossing, that not one gun 
in ten could be discharged. Unmoved, he replied, 
" then we must trust to the bayonet." The enemy 
were completely surprised and defeated. Who can 
describe the feelings of Washington at this trying 
moment. The success of our cause depended on the 
issue. I have heard one I dearly loved, and whose 
memory I revere, describe Washington at this mo- 
ment. Colonel Baylor, riding up to him said, " Sir, 
the Hessians have surrendered;" he dropped the reins 
on his horse's neck, clasped his hands with fervency, 
and raising his eyes to heaven, remained for a short 
space of time in silent thankfulness. That American 
bosom must be insensible which does not sympathise 
with his feelings at this moment. Collecting rapidly 
their scattered forces, the enemy menaced the Ameri- 



24 

can army, vvitli a prompt retribution for this start- 
ling enterprise. 

On the 2d of January, 1777, the British army 
attacked Washington and his forces at Trenton. 
Night interrupted the contest. Keeping his camp- 
fires hghted to conceal his design, and availing him- 
self of the darkness, he eluded the vigilance of the 
enemy; and at the dawn of day, while they were pre- 
paring to renew the attack at Trenton, the distant 
roar of artillery announced to them his victory at 
Princeton. The effect of successes so brilliant and 
unexpected, was electric ; the drooping spirits of the 
Americans were revived; their courage renovated; 
confidence restored; and hope again cheered and 
invigorated their exertions. I would gladly dwell 
on the succeeding events of his military career, but 
time admonishes me that I must be brief. The spi- 
rit of Washington imparted a portion of his own 
high qualities to those who surrounded him. In 
prosperity he was never elated: in adversity he was 
resolute. When the patience of the army was worn 
out by fatigue, want of food, and of clothing, and 
murmurs of discontent prevailed through the ranks, 
he was present, sharing their sufferings, their hard- 
ships, and their privations, and, by his example, 
rebuking their clamour. When envy and jealousy 
shot their envenomed shafts, conscious of his purity, 
and fearless of the assaults of malevolence, he pur- 



25 

sued the even tenor of his way, and they fell harm- 
less at his feet, or recoiled on the guilty assailants. 
Wise and prudent in council; decided and energetic 
in the execution of his purposes; he commanded the 
respect of officers and soldiers. By his kindness 
and attencion to the comfort and happiness of all, he 
conciliated their esteem, and won their affectionate 
regard. 

At one time invested with dictatorial control, the 
very unhmited extent of his authority made him 
cautious in its exercise. He never assumed power 
not delegated to him, and he never evaded respon- 
sibility. 

When the war was ended, and our independence 
was acknowledged, his character underwent another 
test. The resources of the country were drained, 
the troops were unpaid; their toil, their sufferings, 
and their valour were without compensation. It was 
natural they should complain. A few ambitious and 
dangerous men endeavoured, by artful and insidious 
means, to inflame their discontent, to exasperate 
their passions, and to direct their arms against their 
country's bleeding bosom. The crisis was fearful. 
Every eye was turned on Washington. He assem- 
bled the officers of the army: he addressed them: 
his appeal was touching; it was indignant; it was 
eloquent; it was triumphant. "Let me conjure 
" you," said he in conclusion, " in the name of our 

D 



26 

" common country, as you value your own sacred 
" honour, as you respect the rights of humanity, and 
" as you regard the mihtary and national character 
"of America, to express your utmost horror and 
" detestation of the man who wishes, under any spe- 
" cious pretences, to overturn the liberties of our 
" country, and who wickedly attempts to open the 
" floodgates of civil discord, and deluge our rising 
" empire in blood. By thus determining, and thus 
" acting, you will pursue the plain and direct road to 
"the attainment of your wishes: you will defeat the 
"insidious desimis of our enemies, who are com- 
" pelled to resort, from open force, to secret artifice. 
" You will give one more distinguished proof of un- 
" exampled patriotism and patient virtue, rising su- 
" perior to the pressure of the most complicated 
"suflerings; and you will, by the dignity of your 
" conduct, aftbrd occasion for posterity to say, when 
" speaking of the glorious example you have exhi- 
" bited to mankind — Had this day been wanting, the 
" world had never seen the last stage of perfection 
" to which human nature is capable of attaining." 
The most dreadful calamity, that of a civil war, was 
now averted: every murmur was hushed, and the 
dark clouds which had threatened a devastating 
storm were harmlessly dispersed. He bade his 
army an aftcctionate farewell, resigned his commis- 
sion, and retired to enjoy the attractive charms of 



private life. The measure of his glory seemed to 
be full. He was, however, destined to rise still 
higher in the scale of greatness. 

New and unforeseen difficulties arose: thirteen 
independent states, bound together by a slender and 
precarious tie, the influence of foreign pressure re- 
moved, were in danger of falling into disunion and 
confusion. A new and imposing spectacle was now 
exhibited to the world — that of a free and sovereign 
people solemnly deliberating on, and calmly adopt- 
inff, that form of government which the collective 
wisdom and experience of the sages and patriots of 
the nation recommended as best calculated to per- 
petuate their liberties, and to promote their happi- 
ness. Washington presided in this illustrious as- 
semblage. The trust committed to their charge 
was one of the most delicate and exalted character. 
There were conflicting opinions and opposing inte- 
rests to reconcile. Animated by purely patriotic 
motives, by conciliation and mutual concession, all 
aiming to promote the general good, they accom- 
phshed their great work; and the result w^as, the 
Constitution of the United States, under which this 
nation has signally prospered. Long may it last. 

The new constitution went into operation on the 
4th of March 1789. By the cordial and unani- 
mous suffi-ages of a grateful people, Washington 
was chosen the first President of the Ignited States. 



28 

His weight of influence and fostering care were re^ 
quired to support, to protect and to watch over the 
infant institutions of his country. Much depended 
on the first impulse that should be given to them. A 
character was to be imparted to an untried experi- 
ment. Superior to every selfish consideration, he 
accepted the arduous and elevated trust. The go- 
vernment was organized and })ut in harmonious 
motion: men were, with admirable discrimination, 
selected for oflice, with reference solely to their in- 
tegrity, their public services and their fitness. The 
vigilant and the faithful were never removed. All 
were required to perform their duties, and justice 
was extended with undeviating impartiality to every 
one. Order and regularity prevailed: the people 
happy at home, the nation respected abroad, unex- 
ampled prosperity ensued; the mildness, wisdom, en- 
ergy and dignity of his administration, commanded 
universal confidence. He preserved strict neutrality 
towards all nations; and having guided the nation 
in safety and honour, through a period of time re- 
plete with danger; having been a second time, unani- 
mously re-elected President, at the end of eight years, 
he resolutely declined a third election, and retiring 
from the cares and toils of official life, he sought tran- 
quillity and domestic happiness. In public and in pri- 
vate he was always dignified. Itjias sometimes been 
objected, that as a General he was more prudent than 



29 

adventurous. Let it be remembered, that an impru- 
dent step, a rash engagement, might have hazarded a 
nation's hberties. When daring measures were jus- 
tified by pohcy, none surpassed him in the bold- 
ness and the brilhancy of his military achievements. 
His character was in all respects so perfect, that no 
one part shone with particular brilliancy. If there 
had been any shade, it would have afforded relief to 
the more shining parts of his portrait; in him all was 
light. " Washington is not the idol of a day, he is 
the hero of ages." Although no lofty monument, no 
splendid mausoleum, marks the grave where his 
ashes repose, his memory is consecrated in the af- 
fections of his countrymen, where it will be cherished 
so long as virtue and transcendent greatness shall 
command the admiration of mankind. Every bosom 
glows responsive to the declaration, that " he was 
first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of 
his countrymen." He died on Wednesday, the 18th 
December, 1799, exhibiting the fortitude and resig- 
nation of a Christian. His character would have 
been imperfect, had it not been adorned by the 
graces which religion alone can impart. He was 
devout, but humbly and unostentatiously pious. A 
nation mourned his death. It can scarcely be hoped 
that Providence will bestow on us another who shall 
be his equal. 

The American revolution produced an unusual 



30 

number of great and good men. The study of tlieir 
lives, the imitation of tlieir example, may well be 
inculcated on our rising youth as a salutary lesson. 
Two bright examples of illustrious men, raised in 
the school of the revolution, have recently died in 
our own Commonwealth; Chief Justice Marshall 
and Bishop White. Two purer, better, greater 
men, have rarely lived. Chief Justice Marshall, 
impelled by youthful ardour, took up arms and dis- 
played great gallantry in the revolutionary strug- 
gle; and Bishop White, as Chaplain of Congress, 
incurred all the dangers that attended the issue of 
the contest. No Judge ever displayed more pa- 
tience, more learning, more wisdom, more integrity, 
than Chief Justice Marshall. His expositions of the 
Federal Constitution will survive him as an inva- 
luable testimonial of the great obligations he has 
conferred on his countrymen. No prelate was ever 
more unpretending, more dignified, more sincerely 
pious, more extensively useful than Bishop White. 
Both these excellent men were remarkable for the 
simplicity of their manners. Bishop White pre- 
sided at a public meeting held in Philadelphia, to 
do honour to the memory of Chief Justice Marshall. 
Truly the choice was appropriate. A few years 
before the death of Bishop White, Mhen political 
asperity was at its height, and an election was con- 
ducted with more than the customary violence, the 



31 

windows, at which the votes were received, were 
crowded with a dense mass of contending citizens, 
so that it was difficult to reach the polls; Bishop 
White was seen to approach — Some one called 
out, "Make w^ay, here comes Bishop White;" — The 
crowd separated spontaneously, and made a lane for 
the aged Christian to pass through. He reached 
the polls, deposited his vote, returned, and not a 
hand was pressed forward, save to aid him in as- 
cending the steps. No sooner was he beyond 
reach, than the vacant space was eagerly occupied. 
The example w^as salutary. A beautiful illustration 
had been afforded of the reverence all feel for a long 
life of exalted piety and active benevolence. Man- 
kind, however they may scoff, respect religion. Hy- 
pocrisy has been beautifully called the homage paid 
by vice to virtue. 

My young friends, select men like these for your 
models ; 

" Go, study virtue, rugged ancient worth ; 
Rouse up that flame our great forefathers felt ;" 

persevere in diligence; faint not in your aspirations 
after distinction; and may a gracious Providence 
richly reward your efforts. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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